Lascelles Ready To Take On The Challenges Ahead At Yale

Elliot Lascelles SS / 3B / Upper Canada College, ON / 2026

TORONTO - The plan all along was “to go to an Ivy League school to combine academics and baseball.” That is how it all worked out for Elliot Lascelles, with a college commitment to Yale.

“It was a hard decision but I’m happy how it went,” explained the second-rated 2026 shortstop in Ontario, who was recruited by more than 20 Division I schools including in excess of 10 Power 5 colleges, with visits taken to Michigan, Illinois and West Virginia in addition to Yale. “I liked all of the coaches, they were amazing, and I love the baseball there, but for me the fit was better at Yale. Academics are really important to me.”

Yale, which first saw the Upper Canada College junior at the Future Games, presented an offer on Aug. 1, the initial day coaches can make contact with players in the 2026 class.

“They like my skills, my speed and fielding,” Lascelles related. “They called the morning of Aug. 1 and wanted to get me on a visit.”

It went well according to the 16-year-old from Toronto.

“I really loved the coaches and the development there,” Lascelles said. “There’s an opportunity to play freshman year, so it’s a great fit. But it wasn’t an easy decision.”

There were a lot of reasons the choice was right.

“I really like there are no transfers in the Ivy so your spot’s not in jeopardy,” the third-ranked junior in Ontario explained. “In Power 5 it’s like free agents with the money they offer. I also like the smaller roster size (28 in the Ivy League), so coaches have to have connections. You have to know the person and not make a mistake.

“I also feel Yale is going in the right direction. I think they’re going to do big things with the new coaching staff that came there in 2023. Coach (Brian) Hamm led a D-III school (Eastern Connecticut State) to a national championship (in 2022). I also like their development philosophy. Everyone is different and you work around that. And I love the academics and baseball.”

Yale believes Lascelles can make an impact at the Ivy League university.

“They think I fit into the program academically and baseball wise,” noted Lascelles, a 4.0 student who had a 35 on his ACT. “In terms of baseball, they like my bat to ball skills and how efficient my swing is. They like my speed and that I’m able to steal bases. They also like my confidence on the field and how much I’m into the game.”

Admittedly, there has been some uncertainty college baseball would be part of his future.

“From an early age I knew academics were really important to me,” Lascelles explained. “With baseball I didn’t know if it was possible until the fall of 2023 when I joined the Mets. They’ve done so much for me. They helped me believe in myself and motivated me to work hard, get in the weight room and improve my mechanics. Now one of my passions is baseball.”

Still, there were doubts in the recruiting process.

“Up until Aug. 1, I didn’t know how many schools were interested in me,” Lascelles related. “I knew a couple had talked to the Mets, but I wasn’t sure other than that. A lot of schools came from the Future Games. I think I showed well there. I barrelled balls a lot. The Future Games was definitely a big part of my recruiting process helping get me where I am now. That’s where Yale first saw me.”

The 6-0 166-pound left-handed hitter, who credited Rick Leitch, Ryan McBride, Andrew Rowlands, Niall Windeler and Todd Betts with playing important roles in his baseball journey, is confident he can be a valuable member of the Yale program.

“As a teammate I’m someone who’s always there supporting others, like the Mets did to me,” Lascelles said. “As a player, I definitely want to make an impact in the program right away. I want to play shortstop, lead off and help the team win a championship.”

Being a student-athlete at Yale, which is located nine hours from home, is something Lascelles is looking forward to once his high school days are over.

“I’m really motivated to get in the weight room and make sure I can make an impact when I step on campus,” concluded Lascelles, who plans to major in economics. “I’m excited to create connections and bonds with the other players and take on the challenges of high academics at Yale.”